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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661021">Charlotte Hart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks'>LittleSweetCheeks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Madam Secretary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Drabble, Gen, Mild Angst, Miscarriage, Pre-Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:40:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,667</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A chance meeting in the rain</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My arm was twisted to get this posted.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Henry rushed up the sidewalk, determined to find shelter from the icy rain as quickly as possible. He hated this time of year, hated the weather, hated that it seemed to be dark all the time.</p>
<p>Rounding the corner of a brick office building, he shut his eyes and bowed his head against the blast of wind that hit him, failing to notice something sticking out from a doorway until he’d stepped on it and then tripped as he jumped back when the thing cried out.</p>
<p>Hunching into the upturned collar of his coat, he squinted into the darkness. Curled into the doorway of the building, hiding from most of the rain and wind, was a girl.</p>
<p>Huge, dark, eyes peered back at him looking frightened. She was shivering, wearing a coat that barely came past her hips. Her hair was wild, damp curls curtaining her face and tumbling over her shoulders. She spoke, said something that he only vaguely caught as another language. His girlfriend would kick him for not knowing more than that.</p>
<p>Henry shook his head. “I don’t understand.”</p>
<p>The girl blinked once and then swallowed. “I- I said I’m sorry.” Her accent was American, local, and it took him aback.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry for stepping on your foot.” He shifted position, standing to block a bit more of the rain from hitting her. “Are you- are you okay?”</p>
<p>Her head bobbed jerkily as those big eyes looked away. She made a small noise that broke his heart.</p>
<p>“Why are you out in this weather?” She wasn’t dressed for this weather. She had no scarf or hat, and her legs were bare. “Is there somewhere I can take you?”</p>
<p>“I’m okay.” He might have believed her for a second if she hadn’t descended immediately into sobs.</p>
<p>Henry sat beside her on the step, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He ignored the way the wet seeped through his jeans. “I know you don’t know me, but I promise you’re safe from whatever it is. I can take you anywhere you need to go, no expectations, no paybacks.”</p>
<p>She was shivering against him as she spoke through the tears. “I- I don’t know what to do. I just… I don’t know what to feel.”</p>
<p>“You can tell me anything. I promise that I’m a good listener. I have sisters and I have a girlfriend, so I try to be good at it.” He waited, wondering if she would say something. When she didn’t start, he spoke again. “I can tell you about myself?” He felt as she nodded against his shoulder. “I’m Henry. I’m from Pittsburg and like I said, I have two sisters, but I have a brother too. Um… I’m in the Marines, I fly planes.” He wasn’t sure she’d know or even care about anything like that. “My girlfriend’s name is Elizabeth, she’s… the most amazing person on earth.” He looked down, trying to see her face through her hair. “How about you? Any family?”</p>
<p>She sniffled. “I have a sister.”</p>
<p>Henry nodded. “Girlfriends?” He cracked a teasing smile when she shot him a look. “Boyfriends?” That question brought fresh tears to her eyes. “Is this about a boyfriend? Did someone hurt you?” He was ready to fight off whoever had hurt this total stranger he’d just met.</p>
<p>“No, it’s… God I wish it was that.” She shook her head. “I’m… He’s not around here anyway. I’m all alone and…”</p>
<p>“Where is he?”</p>
<p>Those eyes came up again, but only for a split second. “Eastern Europe somewhere. Depends on what today is.” She sucked in a sharp breath and then made a pained face. “He didn’t want me anymore. Once he was done screaming, I- I didn’t want him either. I just- I thought we were in love, you know?” She shrugged. “I guess not, if he can call me a whore and shove me out into the street.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. No one should ever call you that.”</p>
<p>Her answer was so soft he barely caught it over the rain. “You don’t know what I’ve done.”</p>
<p>“Nothing could be bad enough to warrant calling you that. Or to kick you out when you have nowhere else to go?” He was guessing on that last bit.</p>
<p>She began crying again. “Henry?” Her voice reminded him of when Elizabeth had had a nightmare. “There is a place I should go.”</p>
<p>“Where?”</p>
<p>“I- I think I should go to the hospital. I just… I got turned around and can’t remember how to get there. I’ve only been back for a couple days.” She pressed into his side, sobbing through her words. “I’m so stupid!”</p>
<p>“Shh, you’re not stupid. I’ll drive you. Come on.” He stood, tugging her with him and it was then that he realized just how tiny the girl was, she didn’t even come to his shoulder. “My car’s down this way.”</p>
<p>She fell silent and let him lead, neither of them spoke until they pulled into the lot of the hospital. “Thank you. You don’t have to stay with me.”</p>
<p>“No, you shouldn’t have to be alone and you’ll need to get home anyway.” He climbed out of the driver’s seat and put his arm around her to walk her in. “Unless you want me to leave?”</p>
<p>She only shook her head. At the desk, the nurse asked her name. “Charlotte Hart.” She whispered it, leaning in close, ready for the next question. Henry had taken a few steps away to give her privacy, but didn’t miss the hushed way she told the clerk she was pregnant and thought she was losing the baby.</p>
<p>He tried not to stare, but before he could remember to look away, her brown eyes were on him again.</p>
<p>Her demeanor changed then. For a moment it was as if she was challenging him to have an opinion. A young girl, probably not even old enough to drink, kicked out and called a whore for being pregnant. Henry took her in now that they were inside. She was in a worn leather coat and leather mini skirt, no wonder she’d been shivering. “You don’t have to stay if it bothers you.” The cocky confidence didn’t extend to her voice. Her voice was scared, timid.</p>
<p>“I’ll stay.”</p>
<p>Before she could respond, she doubled over, crying out painfully. Henry rushed to her side, holding her steady. If it’d been one of his sisters or Elizabeth, he would hope a stranger would be kind enough to keep them from being alone. He looked at the nurse. “Is there something you can do for her?”</p>
<p>“We’ll get her a room. It will take just a minute.” The nurse wrote something on a chart. “Miss Hart, how far along are you?”</p>
<p>Tears were streaming down her face. “I- I don’t know. I only found out a few days ago.”</p>
<p>Henry heard the nurse make a sound in her throat and wanted to defend this girl from whatever judgment she was passing, but he stayed quiet.</p>
<p>Her small hands gripped his coat. “Henry?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“It hurts so much.”</p>
<p>“I know.” He had no idea what she was going through or how to help, all he knew was he couldn’t just leave her there alone.</p>
<p>=</p>
<p>Henry stepped back out into the cold, Charlotte at his side. “Are you sure you don’t need a place to stay?”</p>
<p>They’d been at the hospital for hours, most of which she’d spent crying. “I’ll figure something out. Thank you Henry…”</p>
<p>“McCord. Henry McCord.”</p>
<p>For the first time all night, the smile she gave him felt honest and open. Genuine. “Thank you, Henry McCord. I promise I’ll be okay from here. Thank you for staying with me.”</p>
<p>“Not a problem.” He’d listened all night to her talk about the baby she hadn’t wanted anyway, the dance career she wondered if she could now save, and so much more. “Maybe one day I’ll see you on stage somewhere.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully.” She wasn’t trying to look brave now and he thought she looked so young for being on her own. “If you ever do, make sure to say hi after.”</p>
<p>“I will.” He’d never once attended a ballet, but he’d keep an eye out if her name ever came up somewhere. Heading for his car, Henry wondered how he’d explain his night sitting at a hospital with a girl called Charlotte to Elizabeth.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Henry gripped Elizabeth’s hand as they were led by her new security detail through the Truman Building. He was only here today as moral support and to give her new staff, with the exception of Blake, a face to put to his name should they ever need it.</p><p>At his side, Elizabeth was reading down the sheet Blake had just handed her of staff names as the younger man rushed to keep in step on her other side.</p><p>The pair of them stepped through her new office doorway together as Blake spoke from behind them. Your Chief of Staff, Ma’am. Nadine Tolliver.”</p><p>The woman waiting on them stood from her chair and turned to face them and Henry’s mind went back twenty six years to a night in the rain and a young girl. He would’ve sworn Charlotte could’ve been Nadine’s twin with the same slight build and same curly hair. Nadine stepped forward, offering her hand first to Elizabeth. “Madam Secretary, a pleasure to meet you.” She turned to him and paused. Those brown eyes met his and he realized this wasn’t some doppelganger. “Henry McCord.” She said it with confidence, but he could see tension in the set of her jaw. She’d recognized him too.</p><p>She, like himself, was so much older now, but her voice was the same just like her eyes. He didn’t know why she’d given a different name that night in the rain, maybe out of embarrassment or fear, but whatever it was, it was her story to tell, not his. “It’s good to meet you, Nadine.”</p><p>She relaxed visibly. “And you as well.”</p>
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